The Bridge
by f3296
Summary: I may have been the Light, but my brother was the bridge. He was the bridge between our dreams, our nightmares and our realities. My brother Donatello, was our savior. SAINW Centric. One-shot; First Person-Michelangelo's point of view


My name is Michelangelo. I am a mutated turtle who has mastered the art of Ninjistu. I guess at one point, I had a normal life. At least, as normal as it could get. I had four brothers, just like me. I had a father, a rat who raised us and loved us. It didn't matter if the rest of the world couldn't accept us, we had each other.

That all changed one day.

See, I had a brother, his name was Donnie. He was the smartest guy I knew. He could make anything out of scrap metal, impressing me in every way. One day, he disappeared. We all thought he had just gone to the to junkyard, like he always did. When he didn't return in the morning, we grew worried. My big brother Leo automatically thought that Don was captured by the foot. So, we looked through the barracks of the foot ninjas, their hiding places and bunkers. Nothing. But, we caught the attention of the Shredder. We thought we were being careful, we really did. Until we were caught.

None of us saw it coming. We were jumped and caught like animals, just like we were. I thought it was a joke, like I always did. While Raph growled and snarled and Leo merely kept his mouth shut, I spoke out, cracking a joke whenever I could. Shredder didn't like that.

He first took away Leo, thinking breaking him will get to Master Splinter, the Shredder's main objective. While me and Raphael stayed in the cell, hoping for Leo's safe return, we questioned; was Donatello here?

It seemed like hours before the foot came crashing through the cell, dragging me and Raphael through the out and through the home of the Shredder. I remembered how much Raph thrashed and fought gaining some pretty good hits to the head. I remember flinching at every hit that struck my brother, listening to the pounding sound of flesh and seeing the blood. But Raph never stopped, he couldn't stop.

We were dragged to the main room, where we were met with the shredder, Leonardo, and Master Splinter. My eyes were glued to my eldest brother. His eyes, covered with a bandage, blood stains down his cheek, glistening with new tears and shame. His arms bound behind his back. I could see the burns from the ropes, proving he fought with passion and determination.

I could here the distant swearing of Raphael, cursing Shredder and demanding his entrance to hell. I saw my father, seeing him as he aged standing there next to Leo's pathetic form. My heart fluttered, I was generally scared. I was so naïve at the time, I really was. I wanted to know what happened to my fearless elder brother, what had they done to him?

My father spoke, telling the Shredder to release us. He complied. I watched to foot pick up Leo's body, flinging it around like a doll. I could see he had no energy. I listened to Raphael protesting, declaring a personal war against the foot. All I saw was red, and the sound of Raphael screaming. I felt blinded, clouded seeing the coursing crimson dripping from Raphael's eye. I stayed frozen, watching Raphael perch forward. The foot ignored him, picking him up with force.

We were all thrown into the truck, thrown back out like trash. The Shredder got what he wanted. He had our father in his hands. I fought with Raph, making him understand we needed to go back to the liar, help Leo, assess his eye.

I unwounded the bandage on Leo's head, seeing the slashes on his eyes, the empty look of his iris orbs. I remembered waving my hand in front of his face and he did nothing, no response. I have never seen Leo so, vacant.

Raphael's anger was getting out of control at this time. Leonardo was out of the fight right now, allowing me to move him in what ever position I needed him to be. I tried my hardest to communicate with both him and Raphael. At this point, I never thought I would need Donnie as much as I did right now.

Days past, nothing changed. Raphael would leave nightly, getting drunk, killing Purple Dragons. He would come home, smelling of booze and iron. I tried to get Casey to talk to him, but instead he joined Raphael's side.

One night, Raphael didn't come home. I told Leo I would be back, I was determined not to lose another brother.

I should have been more careful. I should have taken it more seriously. I don't remember how it happened or when, but one second I'm looking out on the night sky, the next, I'm in a cell. The Shredder's cell; alone. I was caught and I was scared.

I spent what felt like days there, till suddenly I saw the door open, I saw the men, I felt the pain. Never before in my life have I ever felt so distant, so ashamed of who I was or what I did, until I was under the hands of the shredder.

The, I sat here in my cell, soaking in my own facilities. At that moment, I hated, hated everything more then I ever did before. I glanced at my side, seeing the nub that stuck out. I tried to fight back, I tried to harm the shredder. He held me down, and took my defenses away. Loosing an arm was nothing to me at this point. I stare blankly at the wall ahead of me. I ran out of tears long, long ago. I felt nothing but hatred and anger. I was angry at the Shredder, for putting me and my family through hell. I was angry at Leo, for giving up so easily. I was angry and Raphael for letting his frustration consume him. I was angry at my father for giving himself up, for dying when we needed him. And most of all, I was angry at Donnie. If he didn't disappear, if he didn't just leave us like he did, then maybe, maybe none of this would have happened.

I heard the door open, thinking it was the foot. But I saw red, the red bandana. I saw Raph. I saw the new scars, the new wounds. He was fighting, and by the looks of it, a lot of fighting. He was yelling at me, questioning my missing limb, demanding answers. I just stared at him. I couldn't bring myself to talk to him at the time.

He helped me out and brought me home. Leo was there, practicing his katas like normal. Even with his missing sight, Leo was better trained then any of us. To him, this was just a small handicap. Lucky for him.

When Raphael brought me back, there was so much fighting between he and Leo, to the point it was growing more physical then it needed. Raph placed the blame on Leo, Leo placed the blame back on Raphael. Me? It was all on Donnie.

Raphael left that night, and so did Leo. I was forgotten. My father use to call me the light, the one that kept our family one. But that was back when there was five of us. Now, we are down to three and we are separate. I went to April after the destruction of Casey. Raphael was the last to see him alive. He and Casey tried to infiltrate one of the Foot's headquarters only to be attacked and Casey losing his life.

I went to April, to help her. I wasn't angry with her at all. No, she needed help, just like me. I trusted her, and together, we created a rebellion against the Shredder when he started to rise to power. I decided to take my anger out on the Foot, on the bastards who destroyed my life, who I was. My anger was flared, my hatred fueled. I was no longer going to be the underdog. I was going to fight for what I wanted.

Until he came back. Until he showed up, young and innocent. I hated seeing him with his curiosity. When he said we needed to fight the Shredder, to gain our honor back, I knew you he it. My brother, Donatello, the one I set my anger towards, was opening my walls I have kept closed for so long. He brought us back together, let us fight together as one once more. It was crazy and stupid, but at the same time, it was right.

I laid on the floor, bleeding from my shell, my plastron, feeling the death creeping on me, I watch Donnie. He killed the Shredder, the Foot was down and soon enough he disappeared, as quickly as he came. I remembered his words,

"This world, this future, it's a nightmare." You were right Don. It was a nightmare. But, you saved us. All these years I blamed him, fueled my hatred around him. But now, he was the savior. I may have been the light at one point, but Donnie, Donnie was the bridge. He was the bridge between our dreams, our nightmare and our reality. And for the first time, in so many years, I was happy. Because now, In some other life, I was with my brothers, I was held by my father, and I meant something once again.

My name is Michelangelo, and I was lost. Until now. I say farewell to , my brothers, to Donnie because one day, we will see each other once more.

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_**A:N/ Why I wrote this? Because I want ya'll to feel the pain! :] No but Same as It never Was, is one of my favorite episodes and it makes me sad they never did anything more with it. And also how Mikey's story was blanked out. I feel the writers didn't focus enough on his sudden change in character but more on the broken relationship with Leo and Raph (Like alwayssssss) haha but my little interpretation on Mikey's outlook. Hope you guys like!**_


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